I simply do not understand why this is such a tough question considering all of the BP pro’s on this site.
Hard to help others using BP when I can’t even get answers.
@voopress
Dude, I have been trying to get another issue resolved for over 3 weeks now.
I agree, with all these experts it baffles me that you can’t get answers.
I feel your pain!
It’s incredible!
Hi disapointed,
Recent plugins are all network activable.
First of all, plugins have nothing to do with buddypress, which is itself a plugin.
on a single WP install, you “activate” plugins.
on a network install, you “activate site wide”.
By default, WP is a single install. And “network” is a WP parameter. You can install buddypress on a single WP.
Each plugin you install on the main blog is also installed to be used on the network blogs.
To give them these oportunity, you have to check the “plugins” checkbox on the network settings page
your_site/network/settings.php
If checked each blog admin can choose which plugin he want to use on his blog.
Difference between a WP plugin and a BP plugin ?
Technically, none. They work and use exactly the same principle: html, php, header infos, hooks, actions and filters.
But….
The header of a BP plugin contains a tag: buddypress
This is a crucial information for WP who knows then that the plugin should works only with BP installed.
If this tag is missing, the plugin is intended to work with WP (and maybe in some case with BP)
Another difference exist in the action, hooks and filters names, even if this is purely coding stuff and depends on programming quality and knowledge.
And that’s all !
Already disapointed ?
https://codex.wordpress.org/Writing_a_Plugin
https://codex.buddypress.org/developer/plugin-development/creating-a-plugin/
About WP plugins
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/about/
Thanks for so much information, however, it doesn’t answer my question :).
I understand that some plugins are single site, some are network and that network plugins can be used on individual sites on an MU installation.
Your advise to network activate plugins on an MU site is not correct because there are many times when you want a plugin on the main site or one or two sites but not all sites on the network. A good example is statistics plugins that could use up tons of resources if all sites were running their instant all out. That could bring a system to it’s knees if admins aren’t aware and so on. Just an example of course.
Perhaps you were talking about a sub-domain install? I am asking about a sub-directory install.
However, what I have been trying to find out about specifically, is about BP related plugins and not the main BP plugin itself.
I went ahead and network enabled all of the BP related plugins then tested by trying things out, going to various sub-directory sites, etc. I didn’t really notice anything different and in the end, it seemed that the only BP plugin which had any value being run in network mode was the main BP plugin itself. This allows me to show new posts site wide in the activity walls but that’s about it.
So, at this point, even after testing, which may not have shown me everything that could be done, I am still where I started.
@voopress as posted in the other topic about the same subject, some BP-compatible plugins require sitewide activation and others for only one site. Read the plugin’s documentation.
That’s what I already said above, I did do that but it’s not always clear and still isn’t.
Either way, I better understand it now, thanks.
